Lily plant named Geneve

ABSTRACT

A new lily plant named Geneve characterized by its white flowers with diffuse reddish purple coloring at the edges of the base and dark purple marking.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of lilybotanically known as Lilium (Asiatic hybrid), and hereinafter referredto by the cultivar name Geneve.

Geneve is a product of a planned breeding program which had theobjective of creating new lily cultivars with a distinctive color.

Geneve was originated by me from a hybridization made in a controlledbreeding program in Rijnsburg, The Netherlands beginning in 1980. Thefemale parent is the cultivar known as Mont Blanc and the male parent isthe cultivar named Sterling Star.

Geneve was discovered and selected by me as one flowering plant withinthe progeny of the stated cross in 1982 in a controlled environment inRijnsburg, The Netherlands.

I accomplished the first act of asexual reproduction of Geneve byscaling bulbs of the initial selection in August 1982 in a controlledenvironment in Rijnsburg, The Netherlands. Horticultural examination ofselected units initiated in 1984 has demonstrated that the combinationof characteristics as herein disclosed for Geneve are firmly fixed andare retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

In describing the characteristics of the variety, the guidelines for thespecies Lilium promulgated by the International Union for the Protectionof New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) have been applied. These descriptorsappear in parentheses in the detailed description of the characteristicsof the variety. The specific dimensions of the various parts of theplant depend on the circumstances of growing (for example, lightintensity).

Geneve has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length. Thefollowing observations, measurements, and comparisons describe plantsgrown in Wageningen, The Netherlands under greenhouse conditions whichapproximate those generally used in commercial practice.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of Geneve which in combination distinguish thislily as a new and distinct cultivar.

1. The distinctive flower color of Geneve.

2. Flower structure which includes branching at an angle of about70°-80° with the peduncle.

3. Overlapping petals, without touching, in the closed flower.

4. Slightly concave inside petals.

The accompanying color photographic drawings show the flowercharacteristics of Geneve, with colors being as true as possible withillustrations of this type.

Sheet 1 is a top perspective view of Geneve.

Sheet 2 is a closeup view showing in detail two blossoms of Geneve.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart (RHS) and to the Horticultural ColorChart (HCC).

Origin: Seedling.

Name: Geneve.

Class: Asiatic hybrids.

Parentage:

Female parent.--Mont Blanc.

Male parent.--Sterling Star.

Plant:

1. Height (on opening of the anthers of the first flower):--Medium (5).

2. Stalk.--Anthocyanin coloring--present, weak, only at the base (9).Color: light green (1). Growth of Hair: present (9). Type of coat ofhair: long (2). Division of coat of hair: especially in leaf axils --only distal (1). Internode length: uniform (2). Cross section: ribbed(3). Bulbils: lacking (1).

3. Leaf.--Position: spread out (2). Top angle of the base with thestalk: sharp, about 45°-50° (1). Length: medium (5). Width: medium (5).Thickness: normal (2). Form (middle third part of the stalk): narrowelliptic to thin oval (1). Color of the top: dark green (7). Luster ofthe top: weak (3). Growth of hair at the bottom: present (9). Divisionof the growth of hair on the bottom: only on distal part of stalk atutmost top of leaf. Top: pointed (2). Curve of the edge: lacking (1).Membraneous edge: lacking (1). Indentation of the edge: lacking (1).Uniformity: present (9). Form in cross section: angular (2). Top part:straight, to bending back (5). Flexibility: strong (1). Stalk: lacking(1).

Flower:

1. Structure.--Type: raceme (1). Growth of hair present: middle strong(9). Bracts: present (9). Number of bracts in comparison with the numberof primary flowers: even (1). Bracteole: present (9). Number ofbracteoles in comparison with the total number of flowers: equal (1).Position: erect, to horizontal (3). Type: bowl-shaped, weak (3).Cross-section: large (7). Height of crown: medium (5). Length of longestflower stalk: medium (5).

2. Petal.--Length of longest exterior petal: medium (5). Width of widestexterior petal: medium (5). Length of longest interior petal: medium(5). Width of widest interior petal: medium (5). Color of the inside ofthe interior petal: near RHS 155D, but whiter; at the base, especiallyalong the edges and in the center, diffuse reddish purple approachingHCC 25/3-625/3, which later disappears; edges of base haveinterrupted/discontinuous dark purple line. Color of the outside of theinterior petal: near RHS 155D, but whiter; along edges, with theexception of top, diffuse reddish purple, approaching HCC 26/3; middlenerve diffuse reddish purple, at the top greenish. Color of the insideof the exterior petal: near RHS 155D, color same as inside of interiorpetal but base is lighter with more diffuse reddish purple, near HCC625/3; base edges lack line. Color of the outside of the exterior petal:near RHS 155D, but whiter, especially at base; median to top withdiffuse reddish purple approaching HCC 25/3-625/3; top slightlythickened and green. Marking on the inside: present. (9). Color of themarking: dark purple. Type of marking on the inside: spots, (1) ellipticabout 11/2× 3/4 mm. Density of the spots in the marking: thin. (3).Color of the inside of the throat: near RHS 155D, but whiter and moretransparent. Color of the outside of the throat: near RHS 155D. Surfacestructure of the inside: ribbed and papillate, (4) honey gland about 19mm long. Luster at the inside: lacking. (1). Curve of the edges of thepetal: present, (9) very weak, only in exterior petals. Type of curve ofthe edge of the petals: rough. Flexure of petals: present. (9). Bendedpart of the petals: only top. (1). Extent of bending: weak. (3).

Reproductive organs:

Length of stamina.--Medium. (5)

Color of the filaments.--White. (1)

Color of the anthers.--Brown, (2) unripe.

Color of the pollen.--Light brown to light orange brown. (3)

Length of the pistil.--Short. (3)

Color of the style.--Light green, with slight hint of red. (2)

Color of the stigma.--Purple to diffuse reddish purple. (2)

Bulb:

Type (in period of rest).--Type 2.

Top.--Pointed. (1).

Density of scales.--Close. (7).

Color of the exterior scales.--White with a shade of yellow. (1).

Top of the scales.--Pointed. (1).

Underground part of the stalk.--bulbils -- present. (9). roots --present. (9).

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of lily plant named Geneve,substantially as shown and described.